Introduction: Diabetes poses a heavy economic burden in Sri Lanka. High glycaemic index (GI) diets are known to promote a higher risk of diabetes. This study was aimed to determine the GI values of nine improved and three traditional rice varieties of Sri Lanka including Bg406, H.H.Z.36, Ld368, Bw367, Bg94-1, At405, At362, Bg300, Bg352, Sudu heenati, Madathawalu, and Pachchaperumal. Furthermore, comparisons of GI values between improved and traditional varieties, as well as the effect of subject gender and colour of pericarp on GI were described. Methods: Fourteen healthy subjects consisting of seven males and seven females were fed with a reference food and cooked rice varieties containing 50 g available carbohydrate; GI were calculated. Results: The GI of 12 rice varieties varied from 40-69. All traditional varieties including Sudu heenati, Madathawalu and Pachchaperumal were in the low GI category presenting GI values of 51, 54, and 41, respectively. Rice with red pericarp obtained significantly lower GI compared to those with white pericarp. Yet, GI values obtained in males were significantly higher than females. Conclusion: The result of this study suggested that all traditional varieties and improved rice H.H.Z 36, Ld368, and Bg406 could have beneficial effects on lowering the glycaemic response in healthy subjects. Glycaemic index can be predicted from the colour of the rice grain. Gender should be considered in the determination of GI.

BACKGROUND: High fluoride levels in drinking water in relation to the prevalence of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka were investigated using rats as an experimental model. METHOD: The effects of fluoride after oral administration of Sodium fluoride (NaF) at levels of 0, 0.5, 5 and 20 ppm F were evaluated in adult male Wistar rats. Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 9), namely, control, test I, II, and III. Control group was given daily 1 ml/rat of distilled water and test groups I, II, and III were treated 1 ml/rat of NaF doses of 0.5, 5, and 20 ppm, respectively, by using a stomach tube. Three rats from the control group and each experimental group were sacrificed after 15, 30, and 60 days following treatment. Serological and histopathological investigations were carried out using blood, kidney, and liver. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in body weight gain and relative organ weights of the liver and kidney in fluoride-treated groups compared to control group. After 60 days of fluoride administration, group I showed a mild portal inflammation with lytic necrosis while multiple areas of focal necrosis and various degrees of portal inflammation were observed in groups II and III. This was further confirmed by increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities. As compared with control and other treated groups, group III showed a significantly higher serum AST activity (p < 0.05) and ALT activity (p < 0.05) after 60 days and ALP activity with a significant difference (p < 0.05) after 15, 30, and 60 days. The renal histological analysis showed normal histological features in all groups with the elevated serum creatinine levels in group III compared to those in the groups I and II (p < 0.05) after 60 days. Significantly elevated serum fluoride levels were observed in group II of 30 and 60 days and group III after 15, 30, and 60 days with respective to control groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Taken together, these findings indicate that there can be some alterations in liver enzyme activities at early stages of fluoride intoxication followed by renal damage.
Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fluorides ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; enzymology ; pathology ; Liver ; drug effects ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; etiology